The Art of War
by FlyingSilverDreams
Summary: Series of 100-word snippets/drabbles relating to an accidentally-bloody summoning of the Queen of Hell and its connection to causing Wave's highest tsunami on record . . . day by day (because any more than one incident at a time would surely kill our poor Third Hokage). –– AU, MultiSaku ––
1. Intro

㇧5 **The Art of War** ㇧5

Fanfic by FlyingSilverDreams

Category – Anime and Manga

Specifics – Naruto

Rated T for Teen

Genre – Romance / Humor / Drama / Adventure

. . .

General Disclaimer: **Naruto** / **ナル** **ト** belongs to **Kishimoto Masashi** -sensei ( **岸本斉** **史** ).

This is an **Alternate Universe** / **AU** fanfic. There **will** be Out-of-Character-ness (OOC) involved.

**In order to clear up any misunderstandings, _italics_ will mostly be represented as _both_ character's thoughts and occasional sound effects, while **bolded words** are used either for emphasis or sectional change.**

* * *

㇧5 **Summary** ㇧5

Series of 100-word snippets relating to an accidentally-bloody summoning of the Queen of Hell and its connection to causing Wave's highest tsunami on record . . . day by day (because any more than one incident at a time would surely kill our poor Third Hokage).

* * *

㇧5 **Author's Note** ㇧5

Updating this will be sporadic . . . but I will try (emphasis on **try** ) to keep the updates to four or more posts a week. That being said, I just want to clarify that the overall plot progression for this story _**will be slower ** than usual,_ ** _especially in the beginning , _**since everything's only being told in drabbles . . . and by "beginning," I mean _before-Sakura-gets-into-Konoha **beginning.**_ So, in other words, any chapters before that will be kept **purposely vague** for protecting plot progression.

Also, the rating _might_ change.

I would gladly appreciate feedback on this fanfic and your vote(s) for the poll posted on my profile. I shall gladly consider any suggestions, answer any questions, and evaluate any requests via the review box below or ff(.net)'s private messaging tool.

Thank you, and I'm very grateful!

– FSD

. . .

 **Inspiration(s):**

• _Lord Charming_ by **forthright** (Anime and Manga: InuYasha, SessKag pairing; Humor  & Romance, Rating: T)

• _Immortals_ by **Fall Out Boy** (Album: American Beauty / American Psycho, 2015. Genre: Pop punk, Alternative rock, Pop rock)

• _The Other Way Around_ by **writer168** (Anime and Manga: Naruto, NaruSakuSasu teamwork vs. Itachi. Rating: M)


	2. An Accident

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 1: **An Accident** ㇧5

* * *

"Deidei-sempai~! Look at what Tobi found just now!"

"Damnit, un! Don't mess with that!"

"But look at how shiny and pretty and shiny it is, Deidei-sempai~!"

"Whatever, un! We need to look for Danna's scroll. It's got to be here somewhere . . ."

"Deidei-sempai~ Maybe it's here? Uuuuwah! Look at these humungous stacks of scrolls here! Tobi's a good boy to look for Saso-chan's scroll here~"

 _CRAAAAASH!_

"OI, TOBI, YOU IDIOT! DON'T GET BLOOD ON THAT! THAT'S THE SWORD FISHSTICKS BROUGHT BACK FROM HOME, UN!"

. . .

. .

.

"Ooooooowww, ow, ow, Deidei-sempai! I think I broke Kisa-chan's sword!"

"IDIOT! That's probably Danna's scroll you broke!"

* * *

 _ **February 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **of 2016**_


	3. The Introduction

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 2: **The Introduction** ㇧5

* * *

Heavy smoke exploded into the room.

A dark pillar of red light illuminated a shadowy figure towering above them.

Deidara was in a state of extreme shock as an ominous tenor thunderously demanded, " **WHO DARES TO DISTURB MY REST . . ?** "

. . .

. .

.

Silence.

. . .

. .

.

And slowly, the crimson gas cleared.

A single chuckle drifted into the air.

" **My, my~ What have we here . . ?"**

The voice sounded oddly . . . _feminine?_

A dark mass in the shape of a hand pointed at him, and Deidara felt a tremor run through his veins.

" **Was it YOU who summoned me, Blondie~?** "

A giggle.

Her opaque pair of emeralds glistened.

* * *

 _ **February 26**_ _ **th**_ _ **of 2016**_


	4. Hellfire

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 3: **Hellfire** ㇧5

* * *

They narrowed into slits, gazing haughtily down at him.

" **You left me** _ **for this**_ **?** "

"S-Sa–"

For the first time in Deidara's life, he found his partner's mouth pathetically clamped-shut, mid-sentence.

And then, it hit him.

"W-w-wait, WHAT?!"

. . .

. .

.

Madara cursed his bad luck.

As he rushed down the seemingly-empty halls of the base, the Uchiha leader could practically _taste_ Her anger.

A few seconds later, and a familiar build of chakra coming from two floors above reminded him of just how . . . _unlucky_ his day was turning out to be.

And by _unlucky_ , he meant that Uchiha Obito **was a dead man.**

* * *

 _ **February 28th of 2016**_

Yep! Madara and Obito (aka Tobi) are two separate beings . . . and that will be "explained" later on in the story.


	5. Unwarranted

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 4: **Unwarranted** ㇧5

* * *

He **tried** to convince himself that it was all just a bad dream, but when She turned Her deadly _glorious-magnificent-lovely_ gaze in his direction, his stomach **clenched.**

 _ **I**_ _ **knew**_ _that scroll looked familiar!_

. . .

. .

.

"W-w-wait, WHAT?!"

"S-S-Sakura-sama! I-I can explain."

Deidara had his third shock of the day when he heard _**the**_ 'Toddler of Akatsuki' address _**anyone**_ _respectfully._ Heck, he even called Leader-sama, "Leader-chan~"! (However, **that** was coming from someone who referred to the Uchiha-Bastard, as _Ita-nii_ , so Deidara wasn't _too_ surprised.)

. . .

. .

.

But before the two of them could start _again_ , Uchiha Madara entered the room.

And then, She began to laugh.

* * *

 _ **February 28th of 2016**_

At this point, I'm hoping for the readers to already know the Japanese terms of references ( _-san, -chan, -kun,_ and all that).


	6. Inferno

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 5: **Inferno** ㇧5

* * *

" _ **You're a damned**_ _fool_ _ **, Uchiha.**_ _"_

 _Emerald flames licked across black earth, fueling his molten iron cage._

" _ **If you think that I'll allow an**_ _idiot_ _ **back onto the surface, then you've learned**_ _absolutely nothing_ _ **for these past few centuries.**_ _"_

 _He shivered._

 _A growing sense of dread_ _ **churned**_ _in the caverns of his stomach._

" _ **But . . . seeing how**_ _he_ _ **'s already**_ _devoured,_ _ **I suppose the only ones left chained . . . are those**_ _DOGS_ _ **above.**_ _"_

 _Her wrath_ _ **terrified**_ _him._

 _Ghostly whispers_ _ **cursed**_ _at the wicked twist of her ruby lips._

 _When the scarlet glow receded from flaming irises, he finally processed her_ _ **consent**_ _._

. . .

. .

.

" **Three favors, Uchiha.** "

* * *

 _ **February 29th of 2016**_

Italicized sections represent flashbacks . . . c'mon guys, ya'll should know this! *tips cowboy hat*


	7. Awakening

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 6: **Awakening** ㇧5

* * *

 _Three favors?_

. . .

. .

.

Deidara stared, wide-eyed, at the Uchiha ancestor breathing a little _too heavily_ behind him.

"H-h-how?!"

Two pairs of Sharingan glared at him, and with one annoyed snarl, Obito quickly grabbed his partner. Without a single word, he _agreed_ with **him**.

"Now then, My Queen . . . Where were we?"

Another giggle chimed in the dark cellar, and inwardly, Madara sweltered with pride at speaking to Her without stuttering.

. . .

. .

.

Far on the other side of the underground, through two metal gates, into the empty ceiling, past a floral labyrinth, and above five floors, Nagato awoke from his throne in the sky.

* * *

 _ **February 29th of 2016**_

I've waited three years to say this: Happy Leap Day, everyone.

And that is all. *disappears at the drop of a hat*


	8. Evenings

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 7: **Evenings** ㇧5

* * *

The first time he dreamed was when he met Yahiko.

That boy was _pathetically_ naïve, terribly optimistic even in the darkest of times . . . even in **war**.

And that was what made Nagato **believe**.

Soon enough, Yahiko's dream became his . . . the yearning for world **peace**.

. . .

. .

.

The second time Nagato dreamed was when Yahiko died in his arms.

His parting smile was still clearly imprinted into his memory.

The hands he held and the promise he made became his second dream . . . a God forging new paths in **pain**.

. . .

. .

.

But in all of his dreams, the Goddess he begged for was **his Queen**.

* * *

 _ **February 29th of 2016**_

BOTH OF YAHIKO AND KONAN'S BIRTHDAYS WERE ON FEBRUARY 20TH . . . but this is a good time as any, right? *nervous chuckling*


	9. Unwelcomed

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 8: **Unwelcomed** ㇧5

* * *

"I _deeply_ apologize for those idiots–"

A single sultry glance paused him.

" _ **Mada-chan~**_ " She cooed.

He didn't deny the warmth flooding his _nether regions_ at her seductive purr, but purely from **experience** , he was scared nonetheless.

" _ **I needed to visit the surface anyway . . . In fact, it looks like I need to**_ _thank_ _ **Obi-kun and Blondie for their . . . services**_ _._ "

She used the heavy aura as a veil. However, even after being obscured from his vision, Madara could still feel the amusement resonating from Her in **waves** _._

Her nonchalance **worried him** , but Her amusement, shining brightly in the darkness, **was worse.**

* * *

 _ **March 6th of 2016**_


	10. An Unnecessary Invitation

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 9: **An Unnecessary Invitation** ㇧5

* * *

"What could interest you in this _dreary_ _little place_ , My Queen?"

A glare silenced him.

He nervously began to rectify his mistake.

"W-what do you require of me, My Queen?"

. . .

. .

.

" _ **It's the LEAST you can do for me, and you WILL . . . won't you, Mada-chan~?**_ "

. . .

. .

.

Later, as Madara exited the cellars, he looked so pale that Obito _couldn't help_ **but** to start stuttering.

His worst nightmare just came true, after all, and _he'll be damned_ if he angered her again.

". . . W-w-welcome to the Akatsuki, S-Sakura-sama."

* * *

 _ **March 6th of 2016**_


	11. Silk Palette

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 10: **Silk** **Palette** ㇧5

* * *

" _ **You**_ are Sakura?"

In the shadows, Pein saw Madara _**tremble**_.

Before him, a young woman leaned playfully against the doorframe, crimson fingertips tapping a tuneless rhythm on oak.

Her hair was the color of _twilight_ , blade-like ornaments fanning across the meticulous pleats behind her head. She wore a traditional kimono, a spread of silver cranes beside lilies (colors that _pales_ in comparison with _her_.)

Perhaps it was the trick of the light or the leftover fogginess from his nap . . . but in the _smallest_ of moments, he saw feathers _. . ._ _**shift**_.

. . .

. .

.

When Pein looked up again, a blank fan covered her face.

* * *

 _ **March 11th of 2016**_

Pein refers to Sakura as "her" and not the Mada-Tobi-Dei reference of "Her" because he has no idea of who she is yet. (Of course, poor Deidara never got a chance to _know_ her yet either, but I'm sure he's not _**that**_ stupid. Surely, he _**must**_ know Sakura's a something _regal_ here . . . right?)

A 'Guest' reviewer told me how much he / she hated the "summary"-like formats of my earlier chapters, so I would like to take this time and formally apologize in not mentioning this earlier: _The Art of War_ 's plot-progression will be **pretty slow** , _**especially in the beginning**_. How far does AW's beginning span, you ask? Well, until we officially get to Sakura's "induction" into Konoha. Anything before that will be kept **purposely vague** to protect plot development. (I've noted this in the "Intro" for all readers after March 6, 2016, so if you started reading this after said date, disregard this part.) Sorry for not mentioning this earlier!


	12. Taunting

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 11: **Taunting** ㇧5

* * *

The rice paper batted _achingly_ _ **slow**_ against the lower half of her face.

Its back-and-forth motion **agitated** him, and before he could stop himself,

"Just **what** shall I do with _**you**_?"

. . .

. .

.

The snap of her fan echoed in the silence.

He froze. Another glance into the corner confirmed his suspicions.

To their mutual horror, a smirk made its way onto her face. The tiniest hint of fangs peaking from her lips, the condescending point of her nose, and the slightest narrowing of her eyes . . . they all _**surprised**_ him **.**

It's been many years since Pein was last taunted.

* * *

 _ **March 12th of 2016**_


	13. Teasing

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 12: **Teasing** ㇧5

* * *

" _ **Nagato, a survivor of war . . . only to lose himself during the process. Now, Pein, a self-proclaimed**_ **God** _ **. . . Tell me, how will you survive**_ **this** _ **?**_ "

Madara's silence confirmed that Pein was officially **alone** in his response . . .

. . . not that she was going to give him a chance.

" _ **But I suppose, the more important question is, how is it like to wear the skin of**_ **Yahiko** _ **?**_ "

. . .

. .

.

Pein should not have been surprised.

She _is_ the Queen, after all.

. . .

. .

.

When the fan opened again, they relaxed.

" _ **Never underestimate the unknown,**_ **child.** "

Her amusement was back again, but by then, _he had learned his lesson._

* * *

 _ **March 12th of 2016**_


	14. Reasoning

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 13: **Reasoning** ㇧5

* * *

"What do you require of Akatsuki, Sakura-sama?"

" _ **. . . A deal.**_ "

Neither of them knew what to say, and with a small wave of Her fan, She continued.

" _ **Upon my awakening, something**_ **intrigued** _ **me . . . In the future, I sense . . .**_ **devastation** _ **in the southeast.**_ "

The minute constriction from Her throat brought him forward.

Madara hasn't heard Her sound _this_ pained in _**centuries**_ . . . It made him _**nervous**_ ( _not that he wasn't nervous enough to begin with_ ).

"My Queen, how may the Akatsuki serve you?"

Pein's glare burned into his back, but when Her lips quirked into a smile, he was too smitten to care.

* * *

 _ **March 12th of 2016**_

MadaSaku makes me happy . . .

• _Coffee Crazed_ by **ShelbySaku** (Anime and Manga: Naruto, MadaSaku pairing; Romance  & Humor, Rating: T)


	15. The Unnecessary Meeting

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 14: **The Unnecessary Meeting** ㇧5

* * *

" _ **What I want . . .**_ "

. . .

. .

.

By the time the doors opened again, Madara and Pein were both greeted by the members of their organization.

So far, only Zetsu kept a straight face (but that was hard to tell due to his _bi-coloring_ ).

Sasori and Kakuzu peered at them curiously. Konan was momentarily-deafened by the shouting from, namely, one Jashinist, one pyromaniac, and one mask-wearing Uchiha _brat_ (three guesses on who she was more annoyed with).

Hoshigaki Kisame jeered at Madara, saying something along the lines of 'his looks for his age' while Itachi tiredly rubbed his temples beside him.

. . .

. .

.

" _ **. . . is something substantial.**_ "

* * *

 _ **March 12th of 2016**_

Sorry for the updates-spamming. I'm just making up for the lack of punctuality these past few weeks, so everything'll back on schedule after the 13th.


	16. Reflections

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 15: **Reflections** ㇧5

* * *

A slender, paper-white hand meticulously folded the cloak and laid it on the vanity table.

The woman wouldn't call herself _vain_ , per se, but owning a vanity has its upsides.

Namely, it has a large mirror reflecting wine-red shadows.

There was a curious kind of silence upon her Queen's arrival.

Three days have passed after Pein's exit from oak doors, and for those three days, her Queen kept silent.

Amber eyes flickered towards the figure in said mirror, reflecting the suddenly darkening moonlight.

Near her bedside, a reflection of another hand, paler and stronger than her own, smoothed over silk.

* * *

 _ **March 14th of 2016**_

It was 11:59PM when I uploaded this to doc, so the date still counts.


	17. Dying

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 16: **Dying** ㇧5

* * *

Raven blood seeped through the wall's plaster.

The reflections died down until only she and that color remained.

It reminded her so much of . . .

. . .

. .

.

 _She heard herself screaming his name . . ._

 _But by then, it was too late._

 _She watched as the kunai meant for Nagato hit_ _ **him.**_

 _His body slumped forward._

 _It all happened so fast . . ._

 _And there was_ _ **so much**_ _chakra . . ._

 _The air felt_ _ **thick**_ _, and she couldn't_ _ **stand up**_ _._

 _She_ _ **couldn't help**_ _. . ._

 _But lie in the mud . . ._

 _And watch as Nagato was the only one left standing._

 _They were_ _both_ _ **gone.**_

. . .

. .

.

Of _Yahiko_.

. . .

. .

.

" _ **It's been a while, Konan.**_ "

* * *

 _ **March 15th of 2016**_

Konan just reminds me so much of Sakura . . .


	18. Disease (of Hatred)

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 17: **Disease (of Hatred)** ㇧5

* * *

 _They both disappeared . . ._

 _She didn't know what had exactly happened, but she knew Nagato did_ _ **something**_ _. . . summoned_ _ **someTHING . . .**_

 _But Yahiko was dead._

 _His body was still there . . . in the mud where she had been_ _ **just moments before**_ _._

 _And_ _ **she hated herself**_ _for being so weak . . ._

 _For getting caught_ _ **so easily**_ _. . ._

 _And there was that familiar, gut-wrenching_ _ **need**_ _to_ _ **tear out her insides**_ _. . ._

 _A_ _ **need**_ _she hadn't remembered feeling since she watched Chibi die . . ._ _ **a death just like Yahiko's**_ _._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _But in that moment, Konan thought of something she couldn't explain . . ._

 _She remembered a scroll . . ._

 _A_ _ **summoning**_ _scroll Jiraiya left back home._

* * *

 _ **March 16th of 2016**_

FYI: Chapter is still in flashbacks, everyone.

Chibi was Nagato's stray dog that died after being hit with an explosive kunai (so not _exactly_ like Yahiko's death, but still unfortunate and that was where I was going with it, yes?).


	19. Disease (of Revenge)

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 18: **Disease (of Revenge)** ㇧5

* * *

 _Their sensei never left much at home. Besides, he always took more than left._

 _But for years now, the one thing he never touched –_ _ **and told them to never touch**_ _– was that scroll._

 _It was a plain scroll, faded ash-wood and flimsy rice paper._

 _She found it easily, being the first one who saw Jiraiya place it underneath the third floorboard from the fifth screen door to the right of the kitchen in the first place._

 _They'll never open it – but she never_ _ **physically**_ _promised that . . ._

 _And now, Konan_ _ **refused**_ _to give up on them . . ._ _ **with or without Jiraiya's consent.**_

* * *

 _ **March 19th of 2016**_


	20. Disease (of Regrets)

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 19: **Disease (of Regrets)** ㇧5

* * *

 _A thunderstorm raged in Ame on the day Yahiko died._

 _The blood Konan spilled never felt so_ _ **painful**_ _._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

" _ **Fate cannot unwind itself, child.**_ _"_

 _There was_ _ **nothing**_ _you could have changed._

" _ **But rest assured that he never stayed long in my domain.**_ _"_

 _Such men usually died earlier and stayed_ _ **longer**_ _._

" _ **And**_ _ **live assured that there are more pressing matters to tend to . . . a matter you so fondly call a friend.**_ _"_

 _Nagato is your only chance_ _ **now**_ _._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

" _ **How have you been?**_ "

Konan made a deal with the Devil **for doubts** , but it would be a lie to say that she wasn't **relieved**.

* * *

 _ **March 21st of 2016**_


	21. Wreckage

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 20: **Wreckage** ㇧5

* * *

 _She felt the blood run cold in her veins._

 _It was an ominous feeling, a foreboding warning to what had,_ _ **or have yet,**_ _to happen . . . and Pein was the first to agree._

 _He sent one of his bodies to her, and once the heavily-pierced Rinnegan-wielding copy of the Akatsuki leader appeared, she immediately knew what had happened._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _It was surprising when he_ _ **summoned**_ _her in on that early evening . . ._

 _Out near the western border, Konan rushed home at top speed, hoping she wasn't too late already._

 _By the time she arrived, the smeared cellar floors spoke for itself._

 _ **She was.**_

* * *

 _ **March 23rd of 2016**_

FYI x2: Everything's still in flashbacks (and that won't change until the next chapter). Top part happened _after_ the bottom part (confused yet?).


	22. Familiarity

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 21: **Familiarity** ㇧5

* * *

"My Queen . . ."

. . .

. .

.

 _ **It has been a few years since She last saw her, but She would not deny that the child before Her had grown.**_

. . .

. .

.

"Pein told me of Your . . . _induction_ this morning. Please, forgive my rudeness, but why have you chosen to stay?"

. . .

. .

.

 _ **No longer was she the**_ **weakest** **link** _ **of her team.**_

. . .

. .

.

"Pein told me of the . . . _visions_ , but why does this affect Your return? And not to mention, My Queen, You have never dabbled in the affairs of humans before . . ."

. . .

. .

.

 _ **Now, Konan was someone She could be**_ **proud** _ **of . . . and that made Her decision**_ **worthwhile** _ **.**_

* * *

 _ **March 25th of 2016**_

FYI x3: _Italics_ and **bolded** = **_Sakura_**.


	23. Homage

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 22: **Homage** ㇧5

* * *

" _ **I've chosen to stray from my reign . . .**_ "

.

He should not be here.

.

" _ **. . . And change this fate.**_ "

.

But it's not like She didn't know he's there.

.

" _ **For millenniums, I have suffered due to those senile codgers above . . .**_ "

.

Listening to this made him feel **terrible** _._

The earth just might crack open at the tilt of Her head and swallow him whole when She smiled.

He felt **guilty.**

.

" _ **. . . But now, they DARE to hurt MY sons and cause MY daughters' tears . . .**_ "

.

Kakuzu originally came to pay respects.

.

" _ **Well, Hell be DAMNED if I let this continue.**_ "

.

When he could **move** , that is.

* * *

 _ **March 26th of 2016**_


	24. His Ending

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 23: **His Ending . . .** ㇧5

* * *

 _He lived by pawning off and laundering the riches he gained._

 _When the going was great, he made_ _ **millions**_ _, dealing with various underground_ _ **businesses**_ _– organs, drugs, sex, blades. He dealt them_ _ **all**_ _and made more money than he ever could than being a ninja from Waterfall._

 _However, when the going got worse, he_ _ **died**_ _._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _History painted him as a man with heartless killings wearing a covered face, but truth-be-told, he was_ _ **better**_ _than that._

 _Only two men knew of how Kakuzu of Akatsuki gained immortality: the other bat-shit crazy immortal, Hidan, and second, the man he sold his life to._

* * *

 _ **March 27th of 2016**_

Aaaaaaaand we're back to flashbacks. It's Kakuzu this time, but I doubt everything'll pan out like it did in Veni, Vidi, Vici (my AkaSaku fanfic), where _**every**_ Akatsuki member meets Sakura sometime-or-another.

That being said, Kakuzu _**is**_ my favorite member, so can you blame me?


	25. Brought His Beginning

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 24: **. . . Brought His Beginning** ㇧5

* * *

 _ **She**_ _helped him with the last one, of course._

 _In fact, Kakuzu hadn't even_ _ **realized**_ _he was dead until his sandaled feet met the banks of River Styx._

 _A ferryman waited for him, dark hands wiping wooden decks._

" _How much for a ride, sir?"_

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _The paddle rose from sanguine waters._

 _It pointed to the other side._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

" _Yes, I would like to cross back."_

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Seeing a pale veined palm, Kakuzu began shaking his head._

 _The ferryman followed suit and pointed his paddle in the way he came._

 _There was not much to pawn being dead, and so, Kakuzu began journeying inland._

* * *

 _ **March 28th of 2016**_

For those unversed in Greek Mythology: River Styx – river ferried by Charon (the ferryman here) with the other side of its banks meeting across the "gates" of Hell.

Happy Birthday, Haruno Sakura! ^_^


	26. Daring Apprehension

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 25: **Daring Apprehension** ㇧5

* * *

 _It took hours (maybe days, he wasn't quite sure) before Kakuzu stumbled across a ravine path leading into dreary woods._

 _A yellow lantern blocked his way, and with, at the very least, a light at his side, the walk began._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _It took weeks (maybe years, he wasn't quite sure) before Kakuzu stood, unnerved, in front of an ancient fortress._

 _His vision was blurred from squinting in the forest, and thinking back on it now, his blindness was all for_ _ **good reasons**_ _(albeit it being_ _ **manipulated**_ _, he was sure)._

 _Seeing no guards by the entrance, Kakuzu pushed through the unlocked gates._

* * *

 _ **March 30th of 2016**_

A little repetition every now and then is jolly good fun.


	27. Explanations

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 26: **Explanations** ㇧5

* * *

 _"_ ** _Kakuzu from the Land of Waterfall . . . a ninja who never bothered for anything out of profits and expenditures . . ._** _"_

 _She knew about him more than he could ever guess._

" ** _One who exists to reap rewards from manipulative dealings . . ._** "

 _Kakuzu supposed that's what **made** An Almighty._

" ** _What EVER made you think that I'll allow such a sinner back?_** "

 _" **Have you earned yourself the memories? Because, you see, little one, life is a TRANSACTION, a one-time job for you to display your worthiness of living.** "_

 _" **Up until now, nothing you have ever experienced were ever PAID back . . . or more precisely, never paid FORWARD.** "_

* * *

 ** _April 1st of 2016_**


	28. Plotting

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 27: **Plotting** ㇧5

* * *

" _You want me to kill a six-year-old's parents?"_

 _An unforgiving wind howled around the room._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Torches flickered with black flames._

 _Its resulting flares ebbed in waves, a pressing, humming pressure against Kakuzu's spine._

" _ **I don't even know why I BOTHER,**_ _" She moaned, Her sigh followed after an indignant snarl._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _The sound sent an uncontrollable shiver throughout his cold being, despite the languid heat radiating from iron pillars._

 _She began muttering crossly at another matter, his pale eyes staring at billowing, writhing tresses._

 _And it was_ _ **then**_ _when he suddenly remembered . . ._ _ **a**_ _ **rumor**_ _. . ._

 _One he heard in a tavern around Snow . . ._

* * *

 _ **April 3rd of 2016**_


	29. Wagers

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 28: **Wagers** ㇧5

* * *

" _With all due respect, Your Highness . . ."_

 _The back of his throat ran dry when She shot him a look of impatience._

 _When She held up a warning hand, his replying bow at the hips placated Her_ _ **just enough**_ _for Her to gesture at him again._

" _. . . I may not have the . . ._ _ **capacity**_ _to understand Your Teachings–"_

 _A snort._

"– _perhaps I may . . ._ _ **learn**_ _them in a_ _ **designated**_ _ **time**_ _?"_

 _Narrowed vespertine eyes._

 _Hanging off the metaphorical ledge, Kakuzu bowed even lower._

" _ **Are you proposing a bet?**_ _"_

 _Kakuzu hid his smile._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _[ "Death's swayed by three: liquor, labor, and_ _ **gambling**_ _." ]_

* * *

 _ **April 8th of 2016**_


	30. Tensed

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 29: **Tensed** ㇧5

* * *

" _You see, My Queen, it'll be_ _ **quite**_ _. . ._ _ **interesting**_ _."_

 _Her smirk morphed into a saccharine smile, devilishly coy in appearance._

" _ **And what shall**_ **I** _ **get in return?**_ _"_

 _One misstep here and he'll be devoured like the rest who failed at Her game._

" _ **What can**_ **you** _ **offer**_ **me** _ **?**_ _"_

 _There was a gleam in Her eyes, one he couldn't look away from._

 _As the silence lengthened, Her form visibly deflated, startling him from his trance. The air around them turned languid, no longer plagued by fear, yet ironically, fueling his nervousness._

" _ **Well . . ."**_

" _ **How about**_ **this** _ **?**_ _"_

 _And in Her hands, there was a cup._

* * *

 _ **April 19th of 2016**_

So sorry for the late update, everyone! Life was hectic lately. I should be back on schedule next week.

For those of you who don't know, I'm a beta for **3detectives1writer** 's _Once Upon A Castle_ crossover fic (so for fans of "Castle" and "Once Upon A Time," please stop by and take a look!). However, I'd just like to take this chance to have a moment of silence for the tragedy that has befallen upon the "Castle" fandom . . . What they did was outrageous and downright _**sexist**_ , but _**I know**_ we will overcome this. Stay strong, everyone!


	31. A Silver Goblet

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 30: **A Silver Goblet** ㇧5

* * *

 _It looked like a sorry cup, in his opinion._

 _The sides were chipped and heavily dented. Smears of black soot(?) layered_ _the bottom, and_ _an_ ** _orange_** _liquid filled its brim, swirling gently in Her hand._

 _She gazed at the cup with an almost . . ._ ** _fond_** _expression as Her thumb traced an inlet of tarnished nickel(?) around the stem._

 _". . . Your H-Highness?"_

 _However, upon his interruption, the Queen sent him a thick scoff._

 _"_ ** _How_** **pitiful** _ **. . .**_ _" She hummed in a tone sharply-contrasting Her mood._

 _"_ ** _. . . Your pride in currency, ninja, blinds you._** _"_

 _With a small flick of Her wrist, its contents streamed onto the marble._

* * *

 ** _April 26th of 2016_**

Sorry, everyone. My updates will still be a bit _jet-lagged_ for this week (and most likely for the next as well). Finals are right around the corner for me, **_but_** it should all be back to smooth sailing mid-May.


	32. Color

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 31: **Color** ㇧5

* * *

 _The stream of hazy chestnut grew steadily into a river until, eventually, the liquid lapped against his sandaled feet._

 _With the cup still held delicately in Her grasp, now upright, She rose from the throne and descended down its platform._

 _Ink-black shadows that had formerly hid Her body from his view slowly lifted upon her descent . . ._

 _"_ _ **Tell me, ninja . . .**_ _"_

 _And the first thing he noticed was a pattern of_ _ **orange**_ _weaving up Her arms._

 _She turned away, neon-bright cloth crawling up Her spine from the small pool between them._

 _"_ _ **. . . What do you see?**_ _"_

 _He couldn't separate clothing from Her spilling._

* * *

 _ **May 3rd of 2016**_


	33. Perspective

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 32: **Perspective** ㇧5

* * *

 _Kakuzu found out that the roof of his mouth was still dry enough to press down his tongue._

 _It wasn't that he_ _ **wouldn't**_ _speak . . ._

 _It was just that he knew how tantalizing it was_ _ **not to speak**_ _._

 _She seemed to sense his nervousness, and only sighed in return._

 _What Kakuzu_ _ **did not know**_ _, however, was that She was sighing in_ _ **agreement**_ _._

 _Peering back into the cup, She kept Her back to the forlorn traveler, decidedly making Her decision to trust him._

 _ **He was brave**_ _, She'll give him that much . . ._

 _ **. . .**_ _ **That**_ _ **was a reason enough to use**_ _ **it**_ _ **.**_

 _But She hesitated._

* * *

 _ **May 5th of 2016**_


	34. Cannot

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 33: **Cannot** ㇧5

* * *

 _But the Queen never hesitated for long, and before She could even control Her own hands, She smashed the cup onto the ground._

 _ **She**_ _ **smiled**_ _._

 _Marble cracked in the cup's first bounce upwards. On its second, even Kakuzu could clearly see a new dent on a part of the base._

 _He blinked._

 _And unexpectedly, when She turned around, he found that he could not pick apart the emotions flittering around Her eyes._

 _There was a foreboding tension in the corner of his chest._

 _Her eyes_ _ **flashed**_ _, a murderous rage suddenly seizing upon them, Her ire almost_ _ **palpable**_ _in the silence . . ._

* * *

 _ **May 8th of 2016**_


	35. Could Not

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 34: **Could Not** ㇧5

* * *

 _Watching Her fury frightened him . . ._

 _But when She gestured wordlessly below them, he realized how watching the intricate swirling of the water calmed him instead._

 _And that was calming . . ._

 _Kakuzu knew it was all . . . paradoxical,_ _ **in a sense of losses and one gain.**_

 _And it was not as if he cannot see how frightened he should be, utterly alone, against a being of unimaginable fable and legacies._

 _But he found himself oddly_ _ **intrigued**_ _by the changes in Her demeanor . . ._

 _And Kakuzu knew he cannot fear for long._

 _Soon enough, he would become daring, but until then,_ _ **he still cannot speak.**_

* * *

 _ **May 10th of 2016**_


	36. Regret

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 35: **Regret** ㇧5

* * *

 _They didn't say a word to each other then, watching the swirling, frightening, calming waters lap at his feet._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

He couldn't remember what She told him afterwards, but it seems that he wasn't meant to.

The centuries passed quickly.

So quickly, that he couldn't even remember what had caused his death in the first place.

. . .

. .

.

Villages rose and fell.

Countless hearts met their end by his hands.

First, it was the Ōtsutsuki . . . then, Senju . . . Uzumaki . . . until **finally** , the Uchiha.

The gift She gave him remained _**extraordinary**_ , but when the years started flying by, **it no longer felt like a** _ **gift**_ **.**

* * *

 _ **May 12th of 2016**_

Woohoo~ We finally made it out of Kakuzu's flashbacks (but his mini-section is _not over yet_ ).

Curious about Kakuzu's "gift"? Well, I'll make that clear in the future . . . (but it's not like it wasn't obvious enough . . . **_I think_** ).


	37. Reminisce

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 36: **Reminisce** ㇧5

* * *

The first few days after he returned to the land of the living was marked by confusion.

Centuries felt like hours to him.

He met two brothers, _then six more_ , with the last pair more like _**friends**_ than siblings.

It was _**abrupt**_ , to say the least.

And worst of all, _**She was there,**_ towards the end . . . fighting, _crying_ , _**begging**_ , _**LIVING**_ for them.

There was a massacre . . . betrayals . . . revenge . . . then, _**war**_.

At one point, the brothers he met _**came back to life**_ , only to all die again . . .

. . . and that was when Kakuzu realized his _**life**_ had been nothing but _**a show.**_

* * *

 _ **May 16th of 2016**_

I love plot-twists . . . as **_small_** as this one was.


	38. Breathless

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 37: **Breathless** ㇧5

* * *

He realized that his role had been nothing more than an _**audience**_ . . . **because** _ **that**_ **was the** _ **gift**_ **She gave him.**

Nevertheless, Kakuzu was _**more than happy**_ to watch the story unfold . . . _ **so far.**_

. . .

. .

.

 _And the war raged on._

. . .

. .

.

" _Who are you?"_ She asked him one day, shouting into the leaves hiding him.

"You do not even recognize the missing-nin you saved?" He snarled back.

One day, his head will roll for this, _**that**_ Kakuzu knew, but it was _**rare**_ for him to do something besides _**watching**_ . . .

. . . so he took advantage of the opportunity like a _**foolish**_ man starving for air.

* * *

 _ **May 18th of 2016**_

 **DO** keep in mind that Kakuzu is _**very**_ young in this section. Like, he's _**twenty-something**_ right now (seeing how the average life expectancy for ninja is forty, a missing-nin should be _**even less**_ —like half, so yeah. _**Half**_ ).


	39. Irony

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 38: **Irony** ㇧5

* * *

"And I thought you were a **Queen** with _**unimaginable**_ power?"

"So what are you doing, messing with the lives _**above**_ you?"

Kakuzu knew he would die _**again**_ for his insolence . . . but he had held back for far _too long_ to care.

"You gave me life, _**My Queen**_ ," he spat out Her title.

"But I never asked for _**this**_."

Resentment, slowly boiling within him for the last few decades, blinded him.

Loneliness created a _**bolder**_ version of himself.

In fact, Kakuzu became so _blind,_ that he almost missed the humor coloring Her smirk.

" _I breathed_ _ **life**_ _into you, you say?_ "

* * *

 _ **May 20th of 2016**_

Notice the un-bolded majority of Sakura's speech *hint, hint*


	40. Illusion

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 39: **Illusion** ㇧5

* * *

" _That would be_ _ **impossible**_ _, because you have yet to be_ _ **saved.**_ "

And then, the last two brothers were fighting again.

Their stances were _**so similar**_ to the _very-first_ two brothers, and before Kakuzu could finally— _ **finally stop**_ **watching,** and **do** _ **something—**_ **she** died.

. . .

. .

.

That day, the two brothers **she** loved more than life were _**heartbroken**_ , and Kakuzu learned to never challenge _**Her**_ decision again . . . _**no matter**_ **whi** **ch** _ **Queen gave it.**_

. . .

. .

.

And then, _**he couldn't even bear to look**_ **down . . .**

There were no longer any liquids blocking his path.

. . . But he knew the journey he took will _**always**_ remain— _ **hatefully**_ —stationary.

* * *

 _ **May 22nd of 2016**_

Ta-da! It was all what-could-have-beens.


	41. Mirage

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 40: **Mirage** ㇧5

* * *

Kakuzu opened his eyes when **she** — _the one who **couldn't** recognize him_ —breathed **her** last, hands tightly grasping the more-friends-than-siblings brothers'.

 _ **Couldn't,**_ because **she** had not yet _**come to pass her own trials**_ . . . _**COULDN'T**_ , because the curtains _**would not**_ rise, trapping **her** own self in the show that ended with the audience's awakening . . .

. . . _with Kakuzu's awakening._

And as Kakuzu watched the deaths that changed, lives that died, and the fallen shinobi rise, he realized that he was never _watching_ _ **a show**_ in the first place . . .

. . . _**It was all real.**_

Or, as **She** told him afterwards, what _**could have**_ been real . . .

* * *

 _ **May 24th of 2016**_


	42. Ashamed

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 41: **Ashamed** ㇧5

* * *

And it was _**then**_ had Kakuzu finally understood the gift She gave him.

It was _**her ending**_ that marked _**his beginning.**_

. . .

. .

.

" _ **Well?**_ "

 **She** had not changed, he realized.

Her posture was still _so very_ _ **frightening**_ **. . .**

She still wore the patterns that he first met Her in, but over time— _or, perhaps, it was his own degenerating memory_ —the bright, neon orange mellowed out to warm, rosewood amber.

He could feel Konan's breathing lengthen, and _**he knew**_ that **She** was the cause of it . . .

But he dared not meet her gaze, only gathering his own breaths to ask, " _Is it time?_ "

* * *

 _ **May 26th of 2016**_

Awww~ Embarassed!Kakuzu ( _Now_ , he is as old as he was in canon.)


	43. Perspectives

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 42: **Perspectives** ㇧5

* * *

And _**because**_ Kakuzu kept his head down, that Sakura grimaced.

" _ **Has Pein been treating you well?**_ "

Her question surprised him, _but it was still not enough for him to look up . . ._

 _. . ._ So She asked him Her question again.

" _ **Has he treated**_ **the life _I_ sold him** _ **well?**_ "

. . .

And with _this_ , Kakuzu finally looked up . . . only to see the _**softest**_ expression he had ever seen Her wear.

But Her eyes looked tired.

Then, he _remembered_ what She was telling Konan a few minutes ago.

. . .

. .

.

And _**She knew**_ exactly what he was about to ask, Her sleeve brushing Konan's cheek oh-so **_tenderly_**..

* * *

 _ **May 28th of 2016**_

Kakuzu's acting a bit _younger_ than his age. Why? Well, Sakura _is_ his _**elder,**_ **currently**.


	44. Daybreak

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 43: **Daybreak** ㇧5

* * *

" _ **BUT, before we begin, let's go tend to your impatient leader**_ **above** _ **us.**_ "

A smile shadowed Her words, and although Kakuzu couldn't see it, he took a pause.

Being this deep within the headquarters muddled his senses . . .

Outside, in the village surrounding— _hiding,_ _ **protecting**_ —the Akatsuki, _**Kakuzu knew it was**_ **raining**.

. . .

. .

.

And there was, indeed, flooding in the streets, the sky alight with an unforgiving— _ **earth-shattering**_ —thunderstorm.

 _And, in a way_ , was that Pein's— _Nagato's_ —greeting.

 **But** **,** _ **in no way,**_ was this **_his_** _**welcoming**_ . . . No, Kakuzu was not _that_ naïve.

. . .

. .

.

Nagato _**knew**_ the return of _**his Queen**_ meant _some_ _ **thing**_ _'s_ _ **dawning**_.

* * *

 _ **May 29th of 2016**_

Every single time I hear / see / read a word regarding to the times of the day (dusk, twilight, midnight, sunrise, etc.), I think of AkaSaku . . .


	45. Marigold Valley

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 44: **Marigold Valley** ㇧5

* * *

 _She arrived in a field of orange._

There was nothing as infuriating as the urge to forget something one couldn't quite remember.

Nagato knew this feeling well.

 _She took this opportunity to congratulate him . . ._

He felt the tremors beneath his feet, tasting defeat in the air.

It was the sound of his Angel's breath, low and lax in sleep; it was the sound of his subordinate's tightened fists.

 _. . . Before leaving after the night._

Nagato felt unease surrounding his fortress and heard the silent cracking of its walls.

 _She left them all alone in this cruel world_ _ **but had faithfully returned.**_

* * *

 _ **July 18th of 2016**_

Sorry for the wait. I have no idea why I stayed away for this long.

Updates should be back-on-track _for now_. I'll try to give a little more warning beforehand (in the last section of my bio, titled: _**Currently**_ ) when I feel the urge to take a mini-hiatus again.

Remember: _Italics_ = in the past.


	46. Colocynthis

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 45: **Colocynthis** ㇧5

* * *

 _ **How beautiful the flowers seem,**_

. . .

 _The five of them lived happily for many months in that small cottage hidden in the woods._

 _Konan read the scrolls She left them during the day while he and Yahiko trained with Jiraiya._

 _On some days, She would disappear in the morning and return by sunset. On others, She would return in the afternoon, appearing just in time to see the large fish that Yahiko and him took hours to catch, its size big enough to require Konan's help as well, the resulting three pairs of hands grabbing at slippery fins._

. . .

 _ **How beautiful, indeed.**_

* * *

 _ **July 21st of 2016**_

I had actually wanted Kakuzu's past to continue where I left it off, but between "starting" a new mini-plot after sort-of-but-not-really-"concluding" his a few chapters ago, I've decided to "finish" Pein/Nagato's first. Judging by the amount of "quotes" I had in that one sentence, I think it's about time I stopped leaving things unfinished . . .

 _And speaking of unfinished_ , I think I just might post something new before this summer is over. No promises, though.

"Fun" Fact: My favorite flower is the white lily, _basically_ the antithesis of a C. colocynthis flower.


	47. Colocynthis II

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 46: **Colocynthis II** ㇧5

* * *

 _ **On a towering vine**_

. . .

 _Jiraiya would be resting under the shade, watching them with a cup of_ _saké_ _in his hand and a book in his lap._

 _This would be when She showed up, on the better days, a smile hidden in Her_ _ **dark**_ _eyes and pale hands peeking out from under the heavy winter cloak._

 _She always appeared to be leaving, a molten brown hood covering the rest of Her pale face – to match Her hands – with long sleeves, sometimes dripping with snow or sand, and loose black pants, no matter the weather, underneath._

. . .

 _ **Despite wind, rain, or shine,**_

* * *

 _ **July 23rd of 2016**_

"Fun" Fact: There are "male" and "female" colocynth flowers.


	48. Colocynthis III

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 47: **Colocynthis III** ㇧5

* * *

 _ **Dangles a treasured gourd.**_

. . .

" _ **Grab under its gills**_ , _" She would say, Her voice surprising Konan and Yahiko enough into letting go of their dinner._

 _He would be the only one still holding onto its tail, having seen Her in the treetops for a solid thirty seconds before them but too high on the excitement of silvery scales and splashing water to react to Her appearance._

 _Konan would be the first to blush, and then, a red-faced Yahiko would relay the entire day to Her in a few short seconds, his voice pitched in happiness and relief at Her early return._

. . .

* * *

 _ **July 24th of 2016**_

"Fun" Fact: Using the Citrullus colocynthis plant lightly, the root, boiled, is known to have a "purging" effect. As a premodern medicine, many women took the drink as an initiative of abortion.


	49. Colocynthis IV

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 48: **Colocynthis IV** ㇧5

* * *

. . .

 _Konan would join Yahiko after her initial shock wore off, stammering out phrases of greetings and questions to Her well-being, but it was only after She gave a quick look at the flapping, floundering animal in my hands did She signal them to my aid._

 _I would be thankful, the last to flush darkly at Her teasing wink, accompanied by Jiraiya's hearty laughs in the background._

 _I knew, long before my hands smoothed over the sacred scroll, Jiraiya's stern warning, and long before the night he tearfully told us of our village's demise._

 _I knew grief when_ _ **he**_ _ **unfurled it.**_

. . .

* * *

 _ **August 1st of 2016**_

*coughs*

"Fun" Fact: The C. colocynthis plant survives in dry climates due to its tap root, a large, fleshy central root that grows vertically into the ground.


	50. Colocynthis V

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 49: **Colocynthis V** ㇧5

* * *

. . .

 _For those few short months, She aided us in our menial chores, helping Konan with holding a mop while I had a broom and Yahiko, a dustpan (because we were never taught the importance of cleaning soot from the fireplace when smoldering ashes confirmed the moving troops)._

 _She comforted us from the dark echoes of night. Her shadow,_ _ **Her's alone**_ _, became something we actively sought after the end of broken bones or blood-soaked dreams._

 _ **But**_ _, for all the warmth She encompassed and the love She provided,_ _ **we were too afraid to call Her, "Mother."**_

. . .

 _ **And innocently bitter the fruit tastes.**_

* * *

 _ **August 2nd of 2016**_

"Fun" Fact: Ingesting a high dose of the colocynthis plant (around one gram of seeds or the fruit concentrate) causes severe intestinal inflammation. However, doses less than 300mg are usually administered to patients with diabetes.


	51. Colocynthis VI

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 50: **Colocynthis VI** ㇧5

* * *

By the time he woke, Obito held up a pot of tea and forced Madara to offer two cups in his stead.

The air hinted at jasmine _and something more_ ––Undoubtedly, they had business to discuss, but Nagato couldn't help but ponder on the curious case of **Tobi**.

The mismatched pair of Sharingan eyes contrasted each other in its very design: elegant burgundy encircling flecks of onyx, and gold melded into sharp jagged lines of the right. A flicker of amusement against the tinge of impatience, Nagato would have been amused had he not known the **two** for so long.

* * *

 _ **September 26th of 2016**_

* _ **cough**_ *

Ehhhhh, whoops?

"Fun" Fact: The authoress hates the colocynth plant ( ** _as well as updating late_** ) with a passion.


	52. Colocynthis VII

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 51: **Colocynthis VII** ㇧5

* * *

 ** _. . . Paired with its seed and a palm-sized leaf_**

They were two completely different halves, but _even Nagato_ noticed how suitably they meshed together.

He could tell Madara was disgruntled at being _dragged_ _so **easily**_ into his office. (Of course, the once-feared Uchiha Clan leader _would **never**_ admit to being 'led by the ear' in the vessel of his younger descendant.)

Once the cups were filled and his nostalgia replaced by the scent of steamed flowers, _they_ sat **Tobi** 's mask between them.

Each understood the message quite clearly: the three _must_ reconcile before **_She does it for them._**

 ** _Of the Colocynth_** ** _._**

* * *

 ** _September 28th of 2016_**

I'm sure that I've hinted it enough, but the "three" (Pein / Nagato and "Tobi" : Madara and Obito) aren't _the_ _best of friends_.

"Fun" Fact: In the Qur'an, the colocynthis plant symbolizes death. The only "part" animals can consume from the plant is its seeds, but even then, this has been credited to intestinal bloating and internal bleeding in wild dogs.


	53. Triumvirate

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 52: **Triumvirate** ㇧5

* * *

The tea grew cold before Obito spoke again.

"Your _nightmares,_ yes?"

He was strangely calm tonight, Rinnegan flashing at the curious tilt in his voice.

" . . . Interesting choice of words."

He saw Madara smirk and felt a familiar twinge of annoyance. One of their eyes–– _Obito's_ ––rolled in amusement, and the subject shifted back once more.

"They are memories."

It was Madara who leaned over the desk, grasping the teapot in a gesture of disappointment, still wearing that **damned** smirk.

"Oh, look _fellas_. It seems we've _ran out of tea._ "

Obito smiled at the ever-growing liquid pouring from the spout.

* * *

 _ **September 30th of 2016**_


	54. The Way to an End

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 53: **The Way to an End** ㇧5

* * *

 _He first saw Her through senseless whispers after a thunderstorm_.

" _. . . Sensei . . . dare . . ._ _ **It**_ _"_

 _Yahiko and Konan were sleeping in the other room, ignoring the grumblings of distant clouds that sent tremors through him in the night._

" _. . . this_ _ **Thing**_ _. . . Orochimaru's death . . . Tsunade . . ."_

 _The rice paper had been torn in a desperate grip. And from all he could see, the water had dripped into the shapes of sandaled footsteps, shaky and uneven, on battered wood._

" _ **I wouldn't**_ _. . ._ _ **using This**_ _."_

 _He was afraid of that evening not because of what he witnessed, but because of the storm that he dared not to control._

* * *

 _ **October 2nd of 2016**_

Yep, we're back in the past now.

Also, plot twist! Orochimaru's dead! (But don't worry, he'll still serve his purpose later on~)


	55. The Way to an End II

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 54: **The Way to an End II** ㇧5

* * *

 _Awakened in their stead and eyelids still heavy with sleep, Nagato stepped into the hall with trained silence._

 _Tentatively fingering the frayed edges and oak splinters, he stepped carefully towards the rambling._

" _. . . a debt . . . and a gamble . . ."_

 _His chakra, nearly drained from the spar in Jiraiya's absence, trembled in its own rite at the hesitant flicker of shadows against his sensei's back._

" _. . . curse heaven . . . yearning for life . . ."_

 _Sleep left him then, fear rising like the condemned vandal, trembling pulse and stone-still eyes._

" _ **If I**_ _must,_ _ **I will**_ _."_

 _Nagato heard the rustle of paper and drops of red drip down._

* * *

 _ **October 3rd of 2016**_

I love child!Nagato~

(I'm so sorry for what I'm going to do to you, bb!)


	56. Evanescence

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 55: **Evanescence** ㇧5

* * *

 _. . ._

 _The sky lit up in an ear-splitting screech._

 _A pounding rain and the pelting wind, he felt_ _ **everything**_ _._

 _A scream._

 _The swamp of thick mud and warm blood._

 _A black sky accompanied the aching earth beneath him, a whirlpool of confusion and all-consuming stillness._

 _ **Konan**_ _'s scream._

 _He felt the ground shake in unbridled fury and his eyes blinded by the wrath of power._

 _Nagato hadn't remembered how that moment came to be, how he brought upon all the unnamed anguish in the world onto his own shoulders, filling the emptiness of his caverns with cold and hurt and endless_ _ **pain**_ _._

 _. . ._

* * *

 _ **October 5th of 2016**_

Yes, there was a time skip. No, we haven't gotten back to the present yet.

Also: 55 5 ; )


	57. Evanescence II

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 56: **Evanescence II** ㇧5

* * *

 _Nagato knew that he had brought on a storm, a_ _ **raging storm**_ _, unforgiving of the naivety permeating this world,_ _ **but it had been**_ **Yahiko** _ **who fueled it**_ _._

 _. . ._

In the distance, a rumble of thunder replied Madara.

The memory had been **utterly** _ **uncalled**_ **for** , and _it infuriated him_.

' _What right did_ _ **he**_ _have over me?!_ 'He shouted into the silence . . . but only emptiness answered back.

And in the emptiness, a new voice whispered, ' _You struggled with the concept of such a mind-boggling turn of events that sealed them into dreams._ '

' _ **And that gave him**_ **every** **right** _ **over you**_.'

* * *

 _ **October 7th of 2016**_


	58. Dead Waters

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 57: **Dead Waters** ㇧5

* * *

Unbeknownst to either of them, Nagato saw their spinning kekkai genkai match speed, a stillness only broken by the piercing quality of their stares.

Beside them, Madara cocked his head to the side before bringing up a lax fist to rest on. His Sharingan turned off and while sweeping the majority of his thick mane of his shoulder,

" _Play_ _ **nicely**_ _,_ **children**."

. . .

" _Who are you?! Where is_ _ **she**_ _?!" Nagato heard his voice crack, a steady burn coursing behind his eyes._

 _In the back of his consciousness, a hearty laugh followed after the light admonishment_ _ **of being too emotional**_ _in a spar._

* * *

 _ **October 9th of 2016**_


	59. Spite

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 58: **Spite** ㇧5

* * *

. . .

' _But remember, what wins the fight is not, at times, based on skill or pride but on one's desire.'_

' _But Sensei said––'_

' _More importantly, Nagato, never become_ _ **blinded**_ _by desire.'_

. . .

 _He quelled it._

" _I am_ currently _Uchiha Tobi, and I have no idea who this_ _ **she**_ _is."_

 _He just_ _ **knew**_ _the masked man was smirking, but the meaning was misconstrued._

" _W-Well, go away. I don't need you._ _ **I only want**_ **her** _."_

 _And in the next second, he heard the words change pitch, the tone, harsher and the air, forced through a tightly-clenched jaw._

" _Aw, poor kid. Don't_ _ **you**_ _sound pitiful?"_

* * *

 _ **October 10th of 2016**_

: ( Madara sounds so mean to precious Nagato! *whines*


	60. Overflow

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 59: **Overflow** ㇧5

* * *

" _Wherever this_ _ **she**_ _is, I'm pretty sure that's why She didn't come when you called."_

 _A breath._

 _Upon inhaling his next, Nagato looked up into the eyes of a_ _ **roving**_ **bloodied** _ **mass**_ _. A scream rose up the column of his throat before he finally realized his own eyes were playing tricks._

 _And on his exhale, there was a spinning red eye staring back at him._

 _But then, the words clicked, and his anger rushed forward in the form of a tepid, narrow-minded delirium._

 _It became tunnel vision._

" _ **SHUT UP**_ _._ _ **You**_ _ **don't**_ _ **know**_ _ **her**_ _._ _ **SHE WOULD NEVER DO THIS TO ME**_ _!"_

* * *

 _ **October 12th of 2016**_

: ( Madara sounds so mean to precious Nagato! _**x2**_ *cries*


	61. Haste

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 60: **Haste** ㇧5

* * *

. . .

"Are you all done?" Exaggerating a yawn, the former Uchiha Clan head gestured lazily at the emptied teapot still-hanging from Obito's stiff fingers.

"I thought we agreed on," he waved _his_ hand with a flourish, mockingly.

" _On clearing the air_ between the three of us before She arrives."

" _ **Patience**_ ," this time Obito growls. Nagato, for once, seems amused at the sudden _role-shifts_ between them, choosing to stay peacefully silent.

Somewhere, a distance from the meeting, a guttural cackle sounds after its owner's entrance.

The occupants of Nagato's office shivered in realization, uttering the same in varying degrees of horror.

" _ **Hidan**_."

* * *

 _ **October 14th of 2016**_

Oh, goodie! Everyone's favorite ( _and only)_ Jashinist is on the prowl~


	62. Evanescence III

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 61: **Evanescence III** ㇧5

* * *

. . .

 _It was Madara who felt the burning sensation take ahold of_ _ **his**_ _"_ new _" body._

 _It was something akin to firecrackers set too close to one's fingertips, a spark that quickly grew into agony at the base of his neck._

' _ **The seal**_ _, you foolish ancestor.' Obito hissed at his elder. The words reverberated into echoes, growing more and more succulent when he pushed him back in._

' _Quit messing with one of Her_ _ **favorites**_ _.'_

' _ **You**_ _may have been on the brink of death, but_ **I** _have actually died before . . .'_

" _And I do_ _ **not**_ _want to visit Her_ _ **again**_ _."_

' _. . . Neither do I,_ _ **brat**_ _.'_

* * *

 _ **October 16th of 2016**_

Was Obito too harsh in calling Madara, "foolish"? Well, they _were_ both in extreme amounts of pain then. (Hehe, _pain_.)


	63. Evanescence IV

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 62: **Evanescence IV** ㇧5

* * *

 _A low thrum sounded in the back of his spine when he switched places with Madara. The feeling continued to travel throughout his body, a voice pounding across their eardrums like the distant echoing of drums. He felt a rush, a terrifying tingling underneath their skin – like night crawlers worming their way through his chest._

 _ **Deep breaths.**_

 _The voice whispered a soft promise to them, and Obito felt his eyesight switch focus._

 _Apparently, the brusque conversation placated the seal's creator_ _ **just enough**_ _to have the pain slowly fade away._

" _Now, let's hope this doesn't happen_ _ **every single time**_ _we switch . . ."_

* * *

 _ **October 17th of 2016**_


	64. Evanescence V

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 63: **Evanescence V** ㇧5

* * *

 _Breaking through the surface was like learning how to blink again. The ringing and black spots blinded him before they cleared away._

' _Let's not_ _ **waste**_ _any more time then,_ _ **shall we**_ _?'_

 _Obito chuckled at Madara's growl reverberating around their skull. Peering down at the child by their feet, "Yes, poor Nagato needs our tending to."_

' _ **Since it suits Her Majesty**_ _.' Madara huffed in annoyance._

 _Before them was a pitifully-drenched child kneeling defeatedly._

 _And he began again, vehemently to himself, 'Isn't it_ _ **absolutely**_ **marvelous** _how the Queen manages to leave the heart and soul?'_

* * *

 _ **October 20th of 2016**_


	65. Evanescence VI

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 64: **Evanescence VI** ㇧5

* * *

" _Heart? Soul?" He whispered back, but his effort were soon drowned out by muffled sobbing._

' _It will do for a Queen of the Dead to have what Her citizens do not.' Madara hissed._

" _No, it is not_ that _which I questioned," Obito started softly once more, and this time, he proceeded to kneel in the same fashion as their_ new _, broken-hearted charge at their feet._

 _Surely, you would not be as blind as to see, Madara, that She never abandons the Heart and the Soul_ _ **for long**_ _."_

 _The crying continued as the clouds finally drifted away into a red sky._

* * *

 _ **October 21st of 2016**_


	66. Evanescence VII

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 65: **Evanescence VII** ㇧5

* * *

. . .

And so, it came as no surprise when Madara confessed to him of his fears in suffocating under Her reign _._

There knelt one of Her _favorite_ human souls, but the odd pang of remorse in their chest felt misplaced for a Clan-Abandoner and the Clan-Abandoned.

. . .

 _Crimson streaks of light showered upon the earth below, the rain mellowing into a soft drizzle. Pink streams of dried blood streaked down his arms._

 _They were_ _ **utterly**_ **alone** _but not_ _ **neglected**_ _._

 _. . ._

And that's when Madara finally understood how the Queen was nothing more than a Mother forced to watch the World devour Her children.

* * *

 _ **October 23rd of 2016**_


	67. Incomplete

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 66: **Incomplete** ㇧5

* * *

. . .

" _So, in the end, even when She was surrounded by the greatest treasures of the World, by the smartest of minds to have ever lived, and by the best histories to learn from, She was still defeated by something as_ _ **unsubstantial**_ _as fate?!"_

" _Yahiko!" Konan halfway turns around in her covers to glare at her teammate for interrupting. After kicking the pillows far across the tatami, she curled back into a ball beside the cloaked body._

 _She peered up again, an unfinished origami flower lying in her lap. "But Shishō, why_ _ **did**_ _the powerful Goddess fall?"_

 _And Nagato remembered smiling._

* * *

 _ **October 24th of 2016**_


	68. Incomplete II

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 67: **Incomplete II** ㇧5

* * *

 _Konan's hands were buried deeply into the dark fabric of her cloak, as if they made an unconscious decision to soak in as much of_ _ **her**_ _presence as possible._

 _And while they were able, those hands of hers would peek out occasionally from underneath the fabric to rhythmically pet along its hem._

 _That was something only Nagato noticed during those rare nights, and when his eyes followed her finger's petting motions, he never figured out exactly who was being comforted._

 _But, perhaps, he never knew because that was not what he saw it for._

 _Perhaps, he shouldn't have seen anyhow._

* * *

 _ **October 26th of 2016**_


	69. Good Intentions

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 68: **Good Intentions** ㇧5

* * *

 _There were things Nagato knew to never question, but when he noticed how tender their exchanges became, he felt himself grow bitter._

 _He was not like Yahiko, pure, kind-hearted Yahiko, without a silver of adamant hatred in him, not even for those who pillaged their village._

 _It was peace and_ only _peace he sought after, but Nagato had never_ _ **known**_ _peace before._

 _Nagato hated, cursed those who destroyed their village, and when their Sensei came, he barely managed to treat him with the kindness he imitated from Yahiko._

 _From Yahiko, he learned contentment, and then, from Konan, he learned forgiveness._

* * *

 _ **October 28th of 2016**_


	70. Good Intentions II

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 69: **Good Intentions II** ㇧5

* * *

 _But from Shishō, he learned the emotions of being human, of being an emotional ninja, one with a cautious compassion, selective kindness, and to recognize the tender, unspoken affections of a mother._

 _And from Shishō, he_ _ **re**_ _learned the shadows of his past, of something welling up deep inside of him with remembrance, as if it had been an old friend's greeting . . . Bitterness, envy, and then, hatred._

 _From Shishō, he learned far more than what Konan and Yahiko could ever teach him._

 _He learned love._

 _And love, Nagato learned, came with hatred._

 _But falling back to hatred was something he feared._

* * *

 _ **October 30th of 2016**_


	71. Incomplete III

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 70: **Incomplete III** ㇧5

* * *

 _A gloved hand rose from beneath her sleeves at Konan's question, the flash of pale skin and an oven-roasted heat in her voice permeating the distances between them. Despite sharing a bed with Yahiko on the other side of the room, he heard their Shishō's voice rumble comfortingly in the candlelit night._

" _ **True, this Goddess was the most powerful of them all, but no power has the ability to subdue the Cruelties of Life**_ _."_

 _He remembered staring intently at the small crease between Yahiko's eyebrows as he listened, as if her answer had held all the answers to_ _ **Her**_ _tale._

* * *

 _ **October 31st of 2016**_


	72. Incomplete IV

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 70: **Incomplete IV** ㇧5

* * *

 _He remembered Konan wrapped tightly in the thickest blanket of them all, being awfully susceptible to the cold without him and Yahiko by her side during the rare nights when_ _ **she**_ _stayed._

 _And for tonight,_ _ **she**_ _stayed_ long _after dinner and pampered them with her companionship and the heated breaths she hid her soft smiles in._

 _Eyes closed. Another warm smile._

 _. . ._

 _Konan shifted closer, tears clinging onto her eyelashes. From what he felt, Yahiko was a shaking, quietly-sobbing mess beside him, and even after his vision grew misty with unshed tears, her words were still heard distinctively across the room._

* * *

 _ **November 2nd of 2016**_


	73. Incomplete V

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 72: **Incomplete V** ㇧5

* * *

" _In the end, Her children passed on. Memories, stories, and ink fade over time, and the people forgot who Her temples were built for. Millennia after millennia, the cycle continued, but in spite of all the pain She felt in losing Her beloved, She lived on. Without fail, She met new beings, fell in new loves, and favored new children, because no matter how cruel life was, nothing was as agonizing as a Living Death."_

 _. . ._

There was a point of awakening, he recalled.

And only half-finished between two tales.

Somewhere, a guttural cackle sounds, and they trade places before continuing.

* * *

 _ **November 4th of 2016**_


	74. Evanescence VIII

㇧5 **The Art of War |** Chapter 73: **Evanescence VIII** ㇧5

* * *

. . .

 _He stared at the dried blood on his arms, like strands of Her hair wrapped protectively around him, a_ _ **testament**_ _to his and Her tribulations_.

 _And that's when they relented._

" _We've dawdled enough."_

 _As his voice broke the silence, Nagato's eyes roved back over the gloved hand holding up an_ _ **orange**_ _vial._

" _You wish to survive without_ _ **her**_ _?"_

' _Because she won't be coming back . . .'_

 _Recognition brightened his eyes, but not without the shadow of fear darkening them._

" _Drink."_

' _. . ._ _ **For a long, long time**_ _.'_

 _. . ._

" _What if you leave us one day and never come back?"_

" _Oh, Konan._ _ **I'll always come back**_ _."_

* * *

 _ **November 6th of 2016**_

Sorry, everyone. I'm taking a mini-hiatus and will be back during Thanksgiving Break (Nov 21~25). See you soon!

ALSO : I just added "Incomplete II" since I noticed the chapter numbers and posting dates were off. _I'm so sorry about the confusion!_ (And I recommend re-reading from Chapter 68/67 "Incomplete II" onwards for clarity.)


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